Where did corned beef get its name? All you need to know | Food | Life & Style

The term ‘corned’ originates from covering meat with ‘corns’ of salt to preserve it.

The term is thought to date back to 17th century England but the practice dates back centuries and in some places sea ash (burnt seaweed), was used.

A 12th century Irish poem, Aislinge Meic Con Glinne, describes how salted beef was eaten by the kings.

Bully beef

The Irish Cattle Acts of the 1600s severely affected the export trade of live cattle and this led to a growing trade in salted Irish beef, particularly in the city of Cork.

The country provided the British army and navy with beef for more than two centuries and it was shipped all over the world to English and French colonies.

The cans, a convenient travelling food for soldiers, are still referred to today as ‘bully beef’ – which is believed to come from ‘bouilli’, the French word for boiled.

Why the key?

Between 1660 and 1688 Irish salted beef was the most important commodity traded from the British Isles.

The iconic keyed tin, which is still in use today, made it easy for soldiers to open anywhere without the need for a tin opener.

Constant rehash

Corned beef has never gone out of fashion. In the 1950s it was all the rage for its convenience, value for money and strong nutritional qualities.

It’s been a common feature of British parties, picnics and grandparent visits ever since, whether in a good old sandwich with lashings of relish on a chilly summer’s day or crisped up with onions in a winter warming corned beef hash.

In Jamaica, bully beef, plantains and rice is a popular cost-effective dish.

Princes Corned Beef, which has long been the nation’s favourite, is made from 100 per cent beef. And, despite its rich heritage, Princes Corned Beef has moved with the times.

All the beef bought from Brazil is reared in accordance with strict animal welfare standards. And these days you can even buy a single-serve can of corned beef to suit a modern busy lifestyle or a reduced salt version to complement a healthy eating plan.

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